Device for separating potatoes from stones



Oct. 27, 1953 Filed Sept. 23, 1950 F. D. GRAY ET AL DEVICE FORSEPARATING POTATOES FROM STONES 2 Sheets-Sheet l Awysl Oct. 27, 1953 F.D. GRAY ET AL 2,656,921

DEVICE FOR SEFARATING POTATOES FROM STONES Fi led Sept. 23, 1950 2Sheets-Sheet 2 I [Zn/4R0 6. 5/1/1059 3y: WA {4%, Aitlvs.

Patented Oct. 27, 1953 DEVICE FOR SEPARATING POTATOES FROM STONESFranklin Daniel Gray, Hillsburgh, Ontario, and Edward Groff Snyder,Preston, Ontario, Canada Application September 23, 1950, Serial No.186,352

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a potato picker and is a continuation-in-partof our co-pending United States patent application, Serial No. 66,162,filed December 20, 1948. mentioned application, we disclosed a potatopicker in which potatoes and stones picked up by a potato digger aredeposited on an inclined portion of a conveyor. The conveyor, afterelevating the potatoes and stones levels out and travels in asubstantially horizontal plane. Above the horizontal portion of theconveyor we mounted a rotating brush at an incline to the direction oftravel thereof, and provided mean". for guiding the potatoes raised bythe inclined conveyor to one side of the horizontal conveyor, forpresentation thereby to the forward side of the brush. The brush wasdesigned to sweep the potatoes laterally of the conveyor but to permitthe stones mixed with the potatoes to pass underneath. While a machineof the type shown in our co-pending application works satisfactorilyunder some conditions, we have found that for other conditions, it canbe improved upon according to the following disclosure.

The present invention employs a brush of predetermined stiffness whichco-acts in a similar manner with a substantially horizontal conveyor toseparate stones from potatoes, but the conveyor with which the brushco-acts is, in the present invention, quite separate from the com veyorthat raises the potatoes and stones from ad jacent the ground. With anarrangement like this, we find it possible to run the conveyor withwhich the brush co-acts at a different speed relative to the conveyorthat lifts the potatoes from the ground. This is desirable for manypicking conditions because it permits the potatoes to be presented tothe brush in a thinner line. The present invention will be fullyunderstood after reference to the following detailed specification readin conjunction with the drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a potato picker according to thepresent invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the picker with some of the detail omitted.

Figure 3 is a schematic view showing the means for driving the variousmoving parts of the picker.

Figure 4 is an elevational view along the lines 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an elevational view along the lines 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a detailed view showing a clutch that can be employed todisengage the inclined conveyor from its drive means.

In the latter Figure 7 is a detailed view showing a means for adjustingthe height of the separating brush above the conveyor.

Referring to the drawings, the letter A generally indicates a potatopicker according to the present invention. It is mounted on a suitablyconstructed chassis or wheeled frame generally indicatedby the numeralI0 and to which further specific detailed reference is thoughtunnecessary. Any skilled mechanic could build a suitable chassis orwheeled frame for the present invention from angle iron or the like.

Within the wheeled frame l0, an endless conveyor H is mounted onsprockets with its conveying surface inclining rearwardly and upwardlyfromthe forward end of the frame. The underside of the conveying surfaceof the conveyor H is supported at each of its side edges by inclinedrails l3 and I4 carried by the frame H3 according to customary practice.

A second endless conveyor 15 is mounted on sprockets within the frame Itwith its conveying surface in a substantially horizontal plane, andrelative to the first conveyor H such that the first conveyor willdischarge potatoes and stones deposited thereon adjacent one side edgethereof.

A brush separating member is is rotatably mounted within the rack I!that is in turn sup-- ported by the frame Ill. The longitudinal axis ofbrush separating member I6 is at an incline to the direction of travelof the conveying sur face of conveyor l5.

The angle of incline is a matter of choice depending to a large extentupon the crop conditions. We have found that an angle of incline betweenand works very well. i

The manner in which rack l! is sup orted in one end within the frame bycrank I9 is illustrated in Figure '7. The rack itself is substantiallyU-shaped and threadedlyengages with crank l9 as at Illa and [9b. Thecrank I9 is journalled in the frame as at I for rotation about itslongitudinal axis. It will be readily understood that the end of therack l1, and the brush which it carries, can be raised or lowered byturning crank Hi. It will be appreciated that the opposite end of rackI! can be similarly raised or lowered by crank 20. i

In operation, the brush separating member 56 sweeps potatoes carriedthereto by the conveyor 15 laterally of the sideconveyor. The potatoesso swept from the conveyor 25 are gathered by the endless conveyor H3.The conveying surface of conveyor [8 inclines upwardly.

The conveyors II, It and I8 and the brush separating member l6 are allprovided with power means for operating them. In the embodiment of theinvention shown, all power is derived from a small gasoline motor 2!rigidly mounted upon the frame I0.

In Figures 3, 4, and 5, we illustrate the manner in which the variousparts are driven by the motor 21. Shaft 22 .is the central drive shaftfor all of the conveyors and for the :brush. It is driven from the motorpulley 23 through the V- belt 24, pulley 25, pulley 26, V-belt 2T,pulley 28, gear 29, chain 30, and gear 3 I.

Power to operate inclined conveyor H is taken from shaft 22 through gear32, chain 3'3 and gear 34.

Power to operate the substantially horizontal conveyor i5 is taken fromshaft 22 through the bevel gears 35 and 355, shaft '31, gear chain '39and gear 40.

The brush separating member I6 is rotated in the same direction :asconveyor within its mounting through pulley Al, V-belt 42, guide pulley43 and pulley 44. Pulley 44 is rigidly mounted on the shaft A5.- whichcarries gear ill. Belt 42 is tensioned by idler pulley Mia and pul-1ey42b. Pulley 42b is carried on a .free end of crank 42c and crank 420is in turn pivotally mounted on the picker frame as at .4212 and springloaded into engagement with belt '42 by spring 42c. Spring Me .issecured to the frame as at 42b.

Endless conveyor 18 .is powered from shaft .22 through gear 46, chain 47and gear is.

The reference to the manner in which power is transmitted is brief, butsufilc'ient to enable a skilled mechanic to construct it. Othertransmissions are of course possible.

It should perhaps be mentioned that guard panels 49 and .50 shown inFigure l -are provided to protect the clothing .of operators from.becoming fouled in the driv means pulleys.

The machine is provided with running boards 5-! and 52 at each of itssides, and running boards 53 and 54 adjacent its .back to give operators.easy access to the conveyors during operation. Guides 55 and 56 arealso provided .to guidepotatoes from the digger which precedes thepicker on to the inclined conveyor H.

In operation, the picker shown is hitched behind a digger. The diggerhas :ashear that digs the pc atoes from the ground :and a convevor thatI lifts them from the ground and deposits them on the inclined conveyor.l I. The motor ,2! is started and inclined conveyor-ll is driven toraise the potatoes and any stones that aremixed therewith and depositthem :on conveyor J5 adjacent .one side.

'Conveyor i=5 carries them .along in a line and presents them to thetorward [end :of rotating brush l6. Rotating brush 1 6 sweeps thepotatoes laterallyof the-conveyor "1| 5 .on to the conveyor l8. Stonesmixed with the potatoes when they are deposited on the conveyor 15 :passunder the brush t6 because of their greater specific i-gravity and aredropped .on .the ground from the side of.

the machine.

The bristles of brush 1.separating member .I-:B are designed with aflexibility that will yield :to permit a heavier stone topass-thereunder when presented thereto by the conveyor I15, but:thatwill not yield to permit a lighter'potato' to :pass thereunder.

7 Conveyor 18 carries the potatoes swept thereon by the brush separatingmember 16 'rear-wardly and deposits them in bags attached 'to the racks51 or 58. Bag retainerracks forgat-hermgarticles 7 from conveyors arewell-known, and detailed reierence to them is thought unnecessary inthis application.

It will be noted that the conveyor 15 is located relative to theconveyor ll such that the discharge from the conveyor II is on one sideonly of the conveyor l5. This ensures that potatoes will .be presentedonly to the forward end of the inclined brush It so that there will beample opin a known manner.

The speed at which the conveyors are operated, the inclination androtational speed of the separating brush .IG, and the height of the"brush f5 above the conveyor l5 are all matters of adjustment and varyfor different conditions.

Usually the digger conveyor '(not shown) which deposits the potatoes andstones onto themclined conveyor l1 travels about 1.8 times .faster thenground speed in order to shake the earth from the crop. The inclinedconveyor "H operates about ground speed in order to give the men standmgon the running boards of the machine an opportunity to pick oil the bigstones and vines mixed with "the crop. In this respect, a control forthe motor 21 is desirable to vary the speed of the conveyor H forvarying crop conditions. The motor should be capable of remote controlby the operator at the rear end of the machine. In this connection,control levers .2 In and 2117 are provided ,for the motor i2! Theconveyor 15 preferably runs 25% $030 74, faster than the conveyor H.This again though, depends upon the particular crop that is beingharvested. As this conveyor is sped up relative to the conveyor 1 vI,the line .of otatoes presented to the brush is thinned out whereby togive the brush l6 .a'better opportunity to perform its separatingfunction. The speed must not be too great though, because it would tendto damage and bruise the potatoes.

The final conveyor l8 is operated at the same speed as the inclinedconveyor I]. This is an inspection conveyor and must operate at aspeedthat will give the inspectors a chance to pick .out .anyremainingforeign material.

' The height at which the brush I6 .is spaced apart from the conveyor.over which it lies, .de pends on factors such as the size of the,potatoes being harvestedand the .size of the stones to .be separatedtherefrom.

.Another adjustment we prefer to incorporate in our machine is .a clutchfor disengaging the conveyor H :from its drive means. .A detail is shownin Figure 5. Conveyor :ljl it will be recalled, is driven by gear 34.This gear is sprin urged by spring :59 into operative engagement withclutch element 50 but can be disengaged therefrom by :pulling lever:B-l. Lever 3| "is ipivotally mounted as at 62 on the frame 0f themachine.

We would also like to add that while the :conveyor 15 :is what we termsubstantially horizontal, the forward side edge '6 3 thereof. can beadvantageously slightly lower than the rearward side edge 64 thereof.This slight inclination tends to keep the potatoes in a thin linetowards the side board on one side of the conveyor a they are presentedto the forward end of the brush [6.

Embodiments of our invention other than the one disclosed will beapparent to those skilled in the art and We do not intend that theforegoing disclosure should be read in a limiting sense.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. In a device for separating stones from pctatoes, a first conveyor, asecond conveyor having its conveying surface in a substantiallyhorizontal plane and mounted relative to said first conveyor to receivethe discharge from the first conveyor, a brush separating memberrotatably mounted about its longitudinal axis to operate above theconveying surface of said second conveyor, said brush separating memberbeing mounted with its longitudinal axis at an incline to the directionof travel of said second mentioned conveyor, said first conveyordischarging to said second conveyor adjacent the area of said secondconveyor that in operation approaches the forward end of said brushseparating member, and power means for operating said first conveyor,said second conveyor, and said brush separating member, said brushseparating member rotating in the same direction as said second conveyorto sweep potatoes carried thereto by said second conveyor laterally ofsaid brush, the bristles of said brush having a flexibility that willyield to permit a stone to pass thereunder when presented thereto bysaid second conveyor but that will not yield to permit a potato to passthereunder when carried thereto by said conveyor. and means forcollecting potatoes swept laterally of said brush.

2. A device for separating potatoes from stones as claimed in claim 1,in which said power means for operating said conveyors and said brush isdesigned to operate said second conveyor at a faster rate of speed thansaid first conveyor.

3. A device for separating potatoes from stones as claimed in claim 1,in which said power means for operating said conveyors and said brush isdesigned to operate said second conveyor at a rate of speed of between20% to 30% faster than said first conveyor.

4. A device for separating potatoes from stones as claimed in claim 1,in which said second conveyor is at right angles to said first conveyor.

5. A device for separating potatoes from stones as claimed in claim 1,in which said second conveyor is at right angles to said first conveyor.and in which said power means for operating said conveyors and saidbrush is designed to operate said second conveyor at a faster rate ofspeed than said first conveyor.

6. A device for separating potatoes from stones as claimed in claim 1,in which said second conveyor is at right angles to said first conveyor,and said brush separating member extends substantially across saidsecond conveyor at an incline to the direction of travel thereof asaforesaid.

7. A device for separating potatoes from stones as claimed in claim 1,in which said second conveyor is at right angles to said first conveyor,and said brush separating member extends substantially across saidsecond conveyor at an incline to the direction of travel thereof asaforesaid, and in which said power means for operating said conveyorsand said brush is designed to operate said second conveyor at a fasterrate of speed than said first conveyor.

FRANKLIN DANIEL GRAY. EDWARD GROFF SNYDER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 799,911 Lofstam Sept. 19, 1905 984,487 Parks et a1 Feb. 14,1911 992,936 Botts et a1 May 23, 1911 1,160,792 Van Houten Nov. 16, 19151,190,950 Piepgras et al July 11, 1916 1,755,660 Morrow Apr. 22, 19302,095,428 Batie Oct. 12, 1937 2,114,263 Heaslet Apr. 12, 1938 2,277,450Parr Mar. 24, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 276,311 ItalyJuly 19, 1930

